The invention pertains to a hydraulic cylinder recoil brake system. Such type of cylinder recoil brake systems form part of the state of the art and are, for example, described in German Pat. No. 737,376. In such system the hollow piston rod includes at its free end a piston-like entraining collar. The piston proper is movably mounted on the piston rod along a path limited by a shoulder formed by the end surface of the collar. Moreover, the piston proper includes three zones of differing interior diameters. In the first zone the piston is formed with an inner recess adapted to receive the collar of the piston rod. This first zone extends to a limit surface at which the second zone with a reduced interior diameter, formed as a second interior recess, adjoins. The second zone extends to the second limit surface, which forms a bearing surface for a coil spring surrounding the piston rod, the other end of which bears against one of the limit surfaces of the collar. The third region is formed as a sliding seat relative to the piston rod and has its free end form a confronting annular surface bearing against a collar of the piston rod. The passages in the piston form a conduit jointly with the passages in the piston rod when the shoulder of the piston rod abuts against the first shoulder o the piston. This condition occurs when the piston rod moves with the recoiling gun barrel initially only against the restoring force of the coil spring and only starts to entrain the piston. There is then displaced firstly hydraulic fluid through the piston which causes the braking effect. This braking effect begins only when the projectile has left the gun barrel.
With high performance cannons the recoild velocity of the gun barrel amounts to 8 to 13 ms.sup.-1. Due to the sudden shock impact of the entraining collar on the corresponding stop surface in the piston and the similar shock impact of the piston on the shoulder of the piston rod danger of undue deformations is brought about, which can lead to malfunctioning and to uselessness of the entire installation. Moreover, it is undesirable for purposes of forming the required uniform braking force effect, to have a pressure peak present at the beginning of the braking effect. An initial value of the braking force should not exceed 1.1 to 1.2 times the average braking force, because otherwise disadvantageously high forces appear in the gun carriage.